|
Q:
|
RTB cage setup
|
|
In Relation To:
Missphire
|
|
|
I just built a 48x18x24" plexi cage for my four foot RTB to grow into. i have some small UTH on the basking side of her cage and overhead bulbs providing light and more heat. i got a fogger system for the tank to keep humidity up since i work all day and cant mist the cage as nesesarry. only problem is the fogger drips water alot and makes the newspaper substrate wet after only a few hours. so my thinking is putting sand or aspen bark on the side with the fogger to soak up the excess water and control humidty better and having newspaper on the basking side. this is the first cage ive build and can use any advice you guys have.
p.s. since the last time i was on here when she was sick with mites she has fully recovered and looks great! she eats nice fat rats and is a happy snake (as far as i can tell shes happy)
thanks
|
|
Member Comment
|
9/8/2010 7:56:10 PM
|
|
2Nyce_Tech
|
|
Thats a nice sized cage. You could always put a water bowl under the fogger (thats what i do).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accepted Answer
|
9/8/2010 8:58:56 PM
|
|
Sonja K. Reptiles
|
|
I just put the water dish partially over where the UTH is to up the humidity and have never had the need to add a fogger or mist much at all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Member Comment
|
9/8/2010 10:23:13 PM
|
|
Floof
|
|
Since you mentioned substrate, sand is a terrible idea and aspen would just mold in those conditions. Cypress mulch is pretty mold-resistant, and holds moisture/humidity quite well, if you choose to go that route. BTW, do you have any thermometers and thermostats making sure the basking end isn't getting too hot? That can be an issue, and may even be contributing to your humidity problems: heat lamps tend to dry out the enclosure to begin with, and excess heat would just make the problem worse.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Author Comment
|
9/8/2010 10:34:14 PM
|
|
missphire
|
|
went and got a second remote thermometer for the basking end of her tank and theres a regulor thermo and humidity gauge at the other end. i read up on what other people used in there cages and went with the reptibark (fir bark) and a patch of moss . together that covers about a third of the tank and the rest im leaving just newspaper. i want the tank to look natural but dont want to drop a ton of money into something shes just gonna poo on thats why i only did part. i also have my fogger placed so the nozzle sprays from the lid down onto the moss so any extra water is soaked up and doesnt puddle. i will try to get a pic of her cage up tomorrow so you can see exactly how it is setup and give me some pointers. thanks tho youve all been good help thruought my new husbandry experiences
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Member Comment
|
9/8/2010 10:56:41 PM
|
|
hun73r
|
|
I would look at cypress mulch next time you change it. You can get it at any hardware store and it is waaaaay cheaper than Reptibark. I got a 40lb sack of it for $2 just this week.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Member Comment
|
9/9/2010 2:32:26 AM
|
|
shellboa
|
|
Another option for bedding that holds humidity and is cheap is the shredded coco fiber. Comes in a brick and then you soak it and one brick expands into like a liter of bedding. Thats quite a bit. I use coco fiber and sphagnum moss for my calabar and she loves it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Author Comment
|
9/9/2010 10:00:21 AM
|
|
missphire
|
|
ok so i have the humidity under control but her temp just isnt getting up there. i live in northern indiana and its starting to get cold here so i have a basking lamp on top above her basking area and then another heat light and uvb light in a dual fixture above the rest of the tank with two UTH underneath ( they are the smaller ones i used on her old tank). tank temp is about 80 and the basking area is only high 70's. i placed a towel over the back of the cage and on top to try to hold in some heat. just did that a hour ago or so and it hasnt changed temp much. do i need to somehow put the lights closer to the bottom of the tank or what? i was thinking about getting a big UTH to put on the side of the tank in the basking area. any suggestions as to this?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Member Comment
|
9/10/2010 1:04:22 AM
|
|
BirchbarkBoas
|
|
I recommend a radient heat panel. I live in northern Minnesota and I swear by them in larger cages. They mimic the sun and heat the air of the cage as well as the basking place. You can get them from reptilebasics.com.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Member Comment
|
9/10/2010 1:55:53 PM
|
|
Izzy
|
|
I second the RHP from reptile basics, for a boa, making the cage 18" you've a lot of wasted space unless it's heated, your boa will never go up there, and even then it's 50-50 at best.
Cypress mulch is good, aspen is great for spot cleaning, not terribly expensive... you may as well go ahead and substrate the whole bottom, cause I can guarantee she will pick the spot you don't want her to poop on, and go there every single time... it's what they're good at ;-) .
I'm also not reading your posts very well, but if you've already got lamps on top, and you want to remain with lamps and not a RHP, you'd be better off switching to CHE - ceramic heat emitters, ditch the UV lamps... RTB's don't need it - and up the wattage.. if you're at 100W, go to 150 or 200... of course, PLEASE make sure if you're going to up the wattage like that to get at least a rheostat to control the temperature coming out of the emitter, they're insanely more efficient than most lightbulbs.... of course absolutely do not put the bulb IN the cage where she can climb on it and burn herself - I'm sure you know that, I'm just retentive and have to add it in for my own peace of mind ;-)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Member Comment
|
9/10/2010 3:55:04 PM
|
|
NorthBrazilian
|
|
Izzy....... not exactly true.... Boa constrictors spend alot of time off the ground when given the opportunity... especially as juvelines.... that 18 in will come in handy....... run a branch from left to right...... exercise does wonders for a boa's physique
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Member Comment
|
9/10/2010 4:35:24 PM
|
|
hun73r
|
|
My juvi boa spends 95% of his time in a tree or on a rock ledge near the top of my enclosure which is 24" tall.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Member Comment
|
9/10/2010 6:37:52 PM
|
|
Izzy
|
|
It wouldn't surprise me that my animals are abnormal... my boas burrow, even when given the opportunity to climb (and with RHPs) and my BPs love climbing and don't use their hides...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Member Comment
|
2/2/2011 3:20:39 AM
|
|
abi21491
|
|
This question has had no activity for 14 days and will be closed by an administrator unless the original poster takes action. Recommended Action: Points awarded An administrator will select responses and assign points at their discretion. Original poster, please close this question out and assign points. If you have any further information in the resolution of your problem, please post it here so that others may learn from it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You are not logged in. If you would like to participate (it's free!), you must log
in, or Become a Member!
|
|
|
|
Most Popular Tags
Ball
,
Ballpython
,
Bci
,
Behavior
,
Boa
,
Breeding
,
Buying
,
Caging
,
Care
,
Chondro
,
Cornsnake
,
Crested
,
Crestedgecko
,
Eggs
,
Feeders
,
Feeding
,
Feedingproblems
,
Gecko
,
General
,
Genetics
,
GTP
,
Health
,
Heating
,
Humidity
,
Identification
,
Illness
,
Incubation
,
Infection
,
Leopardgecko
,
Mites
,
Morelia
,
Morph
,
Morphs
,
Parasites
,
Python
,
Regius
,
Respiratory
,
Shedding
,
Snake
,
Substrate
|
Latest Questions
|
|
|
|
points:150
|
|
|
|
points:100
|
|
|
|
points:250
|
|
|
|
points:100
|
|
|
|
points:250
|
More Questions
|
|
|
Latest Answers
|
|
|
|
points:250
|
|
|
|
points:150
|
|
|
|
points:100
|
More Answers
|
|
|